Colorado
by Megs23
Summary: NS Sequel to 'Getting to Know You'. Nick and Sara go camping.
1. Rest Area

Title: Colorado

Pairing: N/S

Rating: PG 13 – but there may be an "R" chapter or two

Summary: Nick and Sara taking that trip to Colorado. Sequel to 'Getting to Know You'

Author's Notes: I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed 'Getting to Know You'. It was really a fun piece to write. This is dedicated to my Snickers, especially the Golden Girls – as Emily calls them. ;-) 

Warning: As in the prequel to this story, the characters may not seem the same way as they are written on the show. So you don't need to point that out to me in your reviews. Also, I realize 'Getting to Know You' was in the Humor category, but this story is not. 

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, but if George, Gary, or Eric ever wanted to come visit me for a very long time, I wouldn't be opposed. 

**~~$~@~$~~**

"Are we there yet?"

"No"

"Are we there yet?"

"No"

"Are we there yet?"

"Sara!"

Sara looked over at Nick with an innocent look on her face. "Yes?" she asked sweetly. 

"We just got into Colorado, hon. We won't be to Estes Park for another few hours"

Sara let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair, flipping on the portable CD player that rested in her lap. She pulled the headphones up so they covered her ears, and closed her eyes.

**_Hey there boy did ya happen to know  
Wherever you go I'll follow  
Ooh babe you're like a cool breeze  
On a summer day  
When you're near me  
I don't know what to do  
I feel like a fool  
Like a school girl  
True blue girl  
Who wants to know  
Can you come out and play  
You make me feel the way  
A woman is supposed to feel  
Let me show you  
Show you that my love's for real_**

Sara sang softly along with the lyrics of the Christina Aguilera song "Love for All Seasons" as Nick weaved in and out of the light traffic on I-70. 

It had been only a month since the night shift played that little game of 'Getting to Know You'. It had been an eye-opening experience for all of them. And Nick had to admit, it was a great idea, and he felt a little closer to his co-workers. He had already been close to them, but it was nice to just sit around and joke with all of them-including Grissom.

Nick spotted a sign for a rest area not too far away and decided to pull off since this was probably the last one before they got off of the main highway and made their way into the mountains. 

Sara was still lying in the seat beside him with her eyes closed, singing quietly. He could never argue about her voice. She was talented. He often wondered if she and Warrick would get together to write a song together. 

**_I'll be the rain in your summer  
The chill in your fall   
I'll be watcha want   
Anything at all   
I've got a love for all seasons  
A love for all time   
I'll be the fire in your winter  
The sun in your spring   
I'll do what you want   
Give ya everything   
I've got a love for all seasons  
A love for all time_**

"Sara" Nick tried getting her attention, placing his hand on top of hers.

"Yeah?" she asked, groggily. 

"There's a rest area coming up in a mile. I'm going to go ahead and stop."

Sara pulled her head phones off. "Do you need me to drive?"

Nick shook his head. "No. Once we get off 70, it's only another hour and a half or so. I'll be fine."

"All right" Sara placed her headphones back over her ears and continued to sing. 

**_I'll be there for you  
Keepin you warm   
Through the storm  
I'll guide you  
Stand by you until the stars  
Fall from the sky  
When you call me  
I never hesitate   
Makin you wait for my love  
Never lie love  
It's something that I just can't deny  
I'll read your each and every feelin  
When you need me to  
So now I gotta let you know  
This love's for you_**

"Sara?" 

"Yeah, Nick?"

"I love you"

Sara smiled, and intertwined her fingers with his. "I love you, too."

Nick spotted the exit for the rest area and pulled off the highway and into the parking lot of the dimly lit rest area. The sun had set a little less than an hour ago, and they weren't near a major city, so the only light came from the parking lot of the run-down rest area. 

Once Nick turned the ignition off, Sara unbuckled her seat belt, turned off the CD player, set it aside, and hopped out of the car; eager to stretch her legs. 

Nick quickly followed suit and joined her in front of his brand new GMC Denali. He looked around the parking lot and then turned to Sara. "There's no one else here"

Sara stood up straight, and stretched her arms above her head. "I know. Kinda creepy, huh?"

Nick nodded in agreement. 

"Well, I'm gonna go use the little girls' room. I'll be right back." Sara began walking towards the small brick building.

"Sara" Nick called after her, jogging to close the distance between them.

"What, Nick? I have to pee"

"Just go fast. I don't like this place at all. I'll wait for you outside of the ladies room when I'm done"

Sara leaned over and kissed Nick on the lips. "Don't worry."

"Sara-"

"Nick, if I don't get in there soon, we're going to have more than just this scary place to worry about"

Nick smiled in spite of himself. "Okay. Go fast"

"I will"

Sara turned and headed into the women's restroom, while Nick quickly went into the men's. 

**_You don't have to search no more  
Baby you don't have to dream   
Cause what I've got inside for you   
It's all that you'll ever need_**

Nick finished his business as fast as he could and went and stood outside of the women's restroom. He found the map that says 'You Are Here' and began calculating exactly how long it would take them to get to Estes Park. 

He hadn't been standing there long when he heard Sara's petrified screams. 

"Sara!" He yelled before rushing into the ladies' room. 

"Nick!"

She was standing at the far wall of the bathroom, with a ghostly expression on her face. 

"Sara, what's wrong?" He asked as he reached her and wrapped his placed his hands on her shoulders protectively.

Sara immediately buried her face in Nick's chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. 

"Sara, honey, what happened? You're scaring me" Nick said as he rubbed her back soothingly.

Sara lifted her head up and looked around the small bathroom. "There was a man…"

"In here?" Nick asked.

She nodded in response.

"Are you sure? There wasn't a single vehicle outside"

Sara stepped out of his embrace and walked around the bathroom, checking each of the 8 stalls. "I could have sworn…"

"Maybe you're just tired. Or it could have been a shadow. Or maybe you're mind is just playing tricks on you."

Sara looked at him skeptically. 

"Hey, it could happen. When I was younger I was at the grocery store and I could have sworn I saw a little girl sitting in the middle of one of the aisles playing with a doll, but when I took a second look she was gone"

Sara turned back to face Nick, and shook her head. "I don't know, Nick. Let's just get out of here, okay?"

"Yeah, sure"

Nick took Sara by the hand and led her out to his Denali. He knew Sara wasn't one for getting spooked easily, but he didn't want to question it, for fear of upsetting her further. This was definitely something he'd keep an eye on, though. 

As soon as Sara got back in the SUV, she put her headphones on and hit the 'power' button her CD player. She closed her eyes, and soon drifted off to sleep without another word about the mysterious man in the bathroom.

**_You don't have to search no more  
My heart is yours   
For real for sure  
You don't have to wonder why  
I'll never leave  
I'll never lie_**

**~~$~@~$~~**

**      TBC**

**~~$~@~$~~**

Well, what do you think? I know it's kinda off the wall and totally different than the prequel, but it's just what I felt like writing. So please review! 


	2. Estes Park

Thanks for the reviews! They make me happy! And yes, I know you're all confused and such, but I think I know where I'm going with this, and I just hope that you can stick around until the end. 

By the way, I don't own these characters.

**~~$~@~$~~**

The rest of the drive to Estes Park was silent. Sara fell asleep just a few minutes after they left the rest area without another word about the invisible man she saw in the bathroom. 

Truth be told, Nick was worried. It wasn't a common occurrence for Sara to get scared. He didn't believe in ghosts, but there hadn't been one vehicle in the parking lot when they arrived or when they left. He hadn't seen another human or even heard anything besides Sara's scream. And the rest area was out in the middle of no where. If someone was there, they had walked a long way just to scare one person. 

It was at that moment when a scary thought had entered Nick's mind. What if someone had been following them and was after Sara? What if there was some whack-job out there waiting for the right moment to hurt her? No. No way. He didn't even want to think about that.

As they neared the entrance to the park, Sara began to stir slightly. "Nick?" she whispered.

"Good morning, glory" he smiled over at her.

Sara sat up in her seat, and took the headphones off of her ears. She had fallen asleep with them on, but the CD had ended nearly half an hour ago. 'Great waste of batteries' she thought to herself. "Are we there yet?" she asked with a smirk.

"Yes, Sara. We're there," he answered, still smiling. But his smile quickly faded, and he became more serious. "Are you feeling okay?"

Sara glanced out the window into the night sky. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Did you sleep okay?"

"Yes and yes, I slept just fine."

Nick pulled the Denali into a parking space just outside of the visitors' center and turned and ignition off. "I'm going to go register and check in. I'll be right back."

"Okay."

Nick quickly slid out of the SUV, and hurried into the shop. 

"May I help you, sir?" The young man behind the desk reminded Nick of a young Grissom. He had salt 'n pepper colored hair, and wore a pair of silver-rimmed glasses on the edge of his nose. Sitting on top of the counter was a thick book that Nick didn't quite get a good look at before the man pushed it aside. 

"Uh, yeah, I have reservations," Nick answered.

"Last name, please?" The man, whose nametag read 'Anthony', asked.

"Stokes. S-T-O-K-E-S."

Anthony went to work at the computer, and then reached under the counter. He pulled out a bright pink piece of paper that would be hung on the rearview mirror, and wrote down the checkout date, and campsite Nick and Sara would be staying at. He pushed the paper across the counter to Nick, and then went back to the computer and typed out a receipt. "Quiet hours are from 10:00pm to 7:00am. If you enter the park between those hours, you need to use the code written on your pass to get in. And if you have any questions, someone will be here during park hours. Please don't feed any animals that you see. We don't need them hanging around and bothering other campers. Enjoy your stay."

Nick nodded. "Thanks." He looked around the little shop, and picked out a few of the brochures advertising different activities held at the park, and then quickly headed back out to his Denali. 

"Is everything okay?" Sara asked him as he buckled his seatbelt and started the ignition. 

"Yep. We've got campsite 23. And I also found a bunch of brochures about the park, and the town." He handed the pile over to Sara as he backed out of the parking lot and headed further into the park to where the campsites were located. 

"This is beautiful," Sara commented as Nick pulled into their campsite. 

"Sure is," he agreed, hopping out of the car.

Sara joined him in front of the Denali, and leaned up against the hood. The campsite was rather large for just one tent. There were plenty of trees, a picnic table, and a fire circle for camp fires. It was a clear night, and Sara could see plenty of stars, as well as half of the moon. 

Nick stood beside her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We should get started. It's going to be quiet time soon, and I'm pretty sure they don't want us setting up a tent that late."

Sara leaned into his warm body, and wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to stay warm. "It's so much cooler here than in Vegas."

"That's why we packed warm clothes," Nick commented, pulling her body closer to his. 

"Why don't we just sleep in the Denali tonight? There's plenty of room. And that way we don't have to even worry about the tent tonight."

Nick leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Good thinking, sweetie."

"I have my moments," Sara grinned.

Nick and Sara both went to the back of the SUV. Nick opened the back door, and both of them pulled their toiletry bags and sleeping bags out of the vehicle. While Sara set up a makeshift bed for herself in the back seat of the Denali, Nick started a fire for them, and set up two chairs next to the glowing flames. 

"Nick, I'm finished," Sara informed him as she plopped down in one of the chairs Nick had set up next to the fire. 

"Okay, hon. I think I'm going to just sit out here for a bit before going to bed. I need to stretch my legs." He sat down next to her.

"Well, I can stay up with you. I mean I slept most of the way here. I'm not even tried," Sara finished with a small yawn, which she tried to hide. 

Nick laughed, and took her hand in his. "Why don't we head up to the bath house to brush our teeth?"

Sara nodded. "I suppose I should do that before I fall asleep."

"Yeah, that and I don't want you walking all the way over there by yourself," he gave her hand a gentle squeeze to make his point.

Sara shot him one of her infamous glares. "Nick, I'm thirty-three years old. I think I can handle walking over to the bath house."

Nick shot her a glare of his own. "Don't argue with me when I'm trying to protect you from the boogie man."

Sara knew this was a serious moment, but she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "Sorry," she apologized. "Let me go grab our bags."

When she returned, Nick was already asleep. Sara smiled down at him. "Nick," she whispered. "Nick, wake up. You'll freeze if you stay out here all night."

"Mmmm?" he mumbled. "Just a little lower. Yeah, right there. Oh, Sara, you're so beautiful."

Sara looked at him; a confused expression crossed her face. In all their months of dating and sleeping together, she had never heard him talk in his sleep. 

"I love you so much," he continued. 

Sara smiled, and kneeled down on the dirt next to his chair. "Nick, wake up!" She said a little louder this time.

"Will you marry me, Sara?"

Sara felt her jaw dropped to the floor, and her heart stop beating. His eyes were still closed, and he hadn't moved. "What?" She asked, overcoming the lump that had formed in her throat. "Nick, wake up!" She gently shook his shoulders. "Nick!" She repeated.

Nick eyes fluttered open, and a concerned expression immediately washed over his face when he saw the expression on Sara's. "What's wrong?" He asked, sitting up straight and taking her hands in his. "Are you okay? Did something happen? Are you hurt?"

Sara shook her head from side to side slowly. "No, I'm fine. Everything's fine."

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

Sara choked down the lump again. She didn't Nick to know what she'd heard until she could figure out how she feels about it. "I just heard a noise. I think there are coyotes here."

"Well, Sar, it is Colorado. I'm sure there are lots of animals."

"Yeah, I just hope there aren't any strange men out there stalking us," Sara whispered as she looked around the campground, which was already extremely quiet; with the exception of for the occasional eruption of laughter form the kids in the campsite across the road from theirs. 

Nick placed his hand on Sara's shoulder and cupped her cheek with his other hand. "Hey," he whispered. "No one is stalking you. I'm sure your mind was simply playing tricks on you."

"Nick-" She was cut off when he placed two fingers on her lips and smiled. 

"I'll protect you." His voice was quieter than a whisper this time, and Sara wasn't sure she even heard him correctly. "Don't worry," he added as he leaned his and kissed her softly. 

Sara pulled him closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you," she murmured against his lips.

Nick pulled away and buried his face between her neck and shoulder, lifting her up so she was sitting on his lap. Sara ran her fingers through his short hair, and down his back. She kissed the top of his head. "We should go."

They both stood together, still holding onto one another. 

They made their way to the small, wooden bath house in silence, both enjoying the sounds of the silent night. 

Nick stopped outside of the women's bathroom, and looked over at Sara. "Want me to wait here while you brush you're in there?"

Sara shook her head. "No."

"Okay," Nick stated, unsurely. "I'll just go and-"

"Nick, wait!" Sara exclaimed, grabbing his hand. 

He turned around and watched as she stuck her head inside of the building, and then turned back to face him. "There's no one in there. Will you come in with me, please?" Her voice had suddenly become small and very un-Sara-like. 

Nick nodded, and followed her into the bathroom. 

There were three stalls, three sinks, and two showers inside. It was a very nice bathroom for a campground, Nick thought to himself. 

Sara made her way over to the sinks, and began washing her face and brushing her teeth. Nick watched her for a moment, thinking about how they'd been together for a little over seven months now, and he'd still never seen her do something as ordinary as getting ready for bed before. He'd never seen her paint her nails, or curl her hair. He'd seen her put a little bit of make-up on, but only once. 

"Nick?" Sara asked, breaking him from his thoughts. 

She had come to stand right in front of him, with a concerned expression on her face. "Sorry," he said quickly. "I was just thinking."

"Yeah, I guess so. I only said your name three times before you even blinked." Sara turned back around to the sink and began gathering her belongings and shoving them back into her poop kit, as her best friend from high school had called it, saying "I just didn't feel like saying 'toiletry' all the time, so my mom and I came up with 'poop kit' one day." Sara smiled as she zipped up the little bag, and turned back to Nick. "Well, what are you waiting for? I don't want some poor old woman coming in here and getting the shit scared out of her when she sees you. No pun intended."

Nick laughed out loud. "Sorry. It will only take me a minute."

Sara looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked tired; like she hadn't slept in a week. Which, up until today, wasn't very far from the truth. Work had been extremely busy the past few days. She and Nick really deserved this break, and were going to make the best of it. 

Sara froze when she saw a flash of dark clothing out of the corner of her eye. But when she turned to see what it was, it was gone. She slowly made her way over towards the stalls, checking each one. 

Empty. 

Then she turned and peered inside both of the showers.

Empty.

"Sara?" Nick asked when he noticed she was no longer standing next to him. "Sara?" He repeated when she didn't respond.

"Yeah?" She asked finally.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered going back over to the sinks and picking up her poop kit. "I was just looking around."

"Okay. Well, I'm done. We can head back now."

'He must not have seen anything,' Sara thought to herself. 'How convenient.'

Nick and Sara exited the bathroom, and were soon engulfed by the darkness of the night. They quietly made their way back to their campsite, and climbed in the car. 

Sara curled up on the backseat, while Nick tried to get comfortable in the front passenger seat, stretching his legs out across the driver's seat. Outside the temperature had already dipped below fifty degrees, and the wind was picking up quickly. 

After a few minutes, Sara spoke up in a small voice, "Nick?"

"Yeah, sweetie?" 

"Are you comfortable?"

Nick laughed to himself. "No. But I just want you to get some sleep."

Sara was silent for a few more minutes before speaking up again. "Will you come back here?"

"Sara, you and I both know that if I come back there, neither of us will be sleeping."

Sara sat up and gazed into Nick's eyes, her own pleaded with him silently. "Please, Nick?"

Nick didn't argue this time. He quickly hopped out of the SUV, and joined her in the back seat.

"Are the doors locked?" Sara asked.

"Yes."

Sara had hung up blankets along the windows in the back so no one could see inside the Denali while they were sleeping, but she hadn't covered the front windows. She turned around and began rummaging through her suitcase. She found two sweaters, and a towel. Without a word, she hung each sweater up in the side windows, and the towel in the front window. 

Nick didn't say anything. Instead, and stretched his legs out across the seat, and leaned up against the door, using a pillow to cushion his head. 

When Sara was finished, covering all of the windows, Nick motioned for her to sit on his lap. She did so, and leaned on him, so her back was against his chest. Nick pulled Sara's comforter up over their bodies, and wrapped his arms around her abdomen. Sara leaned her head back on Nick's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered against his neck.

Nick leaned down and kissed her forehead before closing his eyes, and drifting off to sleep. 

**~~$~@~$~~**

**      TBC**

**~~$~@~$~~**

I hope that the first chapter didn't turn you off right away. I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written! Go me! Haha! Please read and review! 


	3. Dreaming

Sorry it has taken me forever and a day to update, but I've been very busy with school work, and other things. But thanks to those of you who are still with me! And thanks for all the reviews. As usual, I don't own these characters. Bummer, huh?

By the way, I changed the rating because I've decided that this story is going to go somewhere I've never been before. If that offends you, then I'm sorry, but it's just where my muse took me. 

**~~~'~,~@**

Sara had a bit of trouble falling asleep. It wasn't because she wasn't comfortable. Actually, she was surprised at how easy it was to get comfortable in Nick's lap. Her mind was running a mile a minute. At first she was thinking back to when Nick was sleeping outside by the campfire and asked her to marry him. It wasn't a bad thing, she thought, it was just scary. She'd never fully committed herself to anyone before. She was married to her job. Did Nick really want to spend the rest of his life with someone who was always working? Granted, he'd known her for four years now, and they had been dating for several months already, so he'd know what he was getting himself into. 

After nearly an hour of thinking about being married to Nick, Sara decided that she probably wasn't going to be falling asleep soon, so she carefully slid from Nick's lap to the floor of the SUV, where she curled up in a ball, and leaned against the door. 

She closed her eyes, and tried to clear her mind, but this time all she could think about was the man in the rest area, and then what she thought was another person in the bath house. Was she seeing things? Or was there really someone there both times?

Sara hugged her legs closer to her chest as she felt a shiver run up her spine and then back down again. She suddenly began the feel the way Nick must have felt when he was being stalked by Nigel Crane. She wondered what had been going through his mind. Or what about Jane Galloway? How had she felt? She had locked herself in her home, and tried to make herself disappear, but he had still found her. What if that same thing was happening to Sara now? Could it be Nigel coming after her? Or was he using her to get to Nick?

Sara's gaze fell upon Nick's sleeping form. His head had rolled over to the side, and was resting on the back of the seat. He had the most peaceful look on his face, completely oblivious to what was going on, and what Sara was feeling. Should she wake him up? Should she ask him to tell her everything was going to be okay? No. The last thing she needed to do was disturb him. He'd been driving all day and was probably more than exhausted. 

She closed her eyes, and laid her head down on her knees, hoping that sleep would take over her as well. 

Two and a half hours later, it finally did. 

And a very short four hours after that, she woke with a jolt. 

He was now in her dreams. 

She and Nick were walking hand in hand through a hiking trail in the mountains. Nick had turned to her and smiled. Just as he was getting ready to say something, a masked figure came out from behind a tree. Without a word, he pulled a gun and fired a round into Sara's chest. She brought her hand to where the blood was slowly trickling from her body, and staining her baby blue t-shirt. She looked down at her the blood on her hand, then back up to the man who had shot her. Before she could say anything, he turned and ran back into the trees. 

Sara felt her knees go weak, but she never hit the ground. Nick caught her, and slowly lowered her body onto the cool dirt that lined the path. 

"Sara?" She could vaguely here the waver in his voice, but when she tried to speak, she only coughed up more blood. 

"Sara, don't leave me!" She heard him beg. 

She looked up into his brown eyes, and could see the tears streaming down his cheeks. She reached a shaky hand up to his face, and lightly caressed his cheek with her thumb. "I love you," she whispered.

The last thing Sara heard was Nick's painful cry. 

Sara wiped the tears that had begun running down her cheeks and looked back up to Nick, who was still sound asleep. "It was just a dream," she whispered out loud. 

She could tell that it was morning from the small streams of light that poured through the blankets she had hung up in the Denali the night before.  Looking down at her watch, she sighed. It was only 7:45 in the morning. Nick would probably be sleeping for another few hours. She knew she wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep now, even if she took medicine to help her. 

Sara quietly climbed out of the Denali, and blinked a few times, trying to get used to the light from the morning sun. Even though there were plenty of trees, the sun still found some way to invade the campground. 

She walked over to the fire circle, and wrapped her arms around her body as the wind whistled through the trees. One thing about Colorado that she'd never miss once they got back to Vegas was the wind. 

Kneeling down next to the fire circle, Sara began to gather the logs and kindling they had brought with them into a tee-pee shape so she could start another fire. 

Just as she was getting ready to light the match, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and jumped nearly five feet in the air, dropping the newly lit match, and matchbook into the fire. 

She spun around and came face to face with a worried-looking Nick. 

"Jesus Christ," she whispered as she exhaled the breath she'd been holding. She brought a hand to rest over her heart, and felt as it began to slow down a little at a time. 

"Sara?" Nick asked. "Are you okay?"

Sara pasted a fake smile on her face, and nodded. "Of course I am. You just scared me is all."

"Sorry," he apologized. "But Sara, I've snuck up on you before, and never gotten that reaction. Are you sure something's not bothering you?"

"I'm positive," she lied, stepping closer to him, and wrapping her arms around his waist. 

Nick pulled her closer, and wrapped his arms around her back, placing a soft kiss in her hair. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"I'll do anything for you, Sara. I mean it." His voice was serious as he pulled back to gaze into her eyes. 

Sara felt the sting of tears forming in her eyes, but blinked them back before Nick could notice a thing. "Thanks," she whispered, lying her head back down on his shoulder.

After a few minutes, Nick pulled away and smiled as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Now, what were you doing with my fire?"

Sara giggled. 

"How about I get us some breakfast, while you go take a shower," he suggested. 

"Sounds good."

Nick leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Sara's lips before pulling away from her and bending down next to the fire, poking at it with a large stick to try and get the flames going a bit more. "Looks like I'll have to find some more matches," he joked as he watched the matchbook slowly burning into ash.

"That'll teach you to sneak up on people," Sara joked. 

"Yeah, yeah. Go take your shower, missy."

Sara gathered her belongings from the back of the Denali and quickly headed off to the bath house, trying to push all ideas of a stalker and her nightmare out of her mind. She took her cell phone with her just in case something did happen she could call Nick. She would have taken her gun as well, but it was packed in another bag that was under everything, and she just wanted to hurry up and get her shower over with so she could be with Nick again. 

She entered the bath house, and found in to be completely empty. 'Great' she thought to herself. She thought about going back to Nick and telling him they were cleaning the bathrooms so she'd have to wait, but she concluded that she couldn't live her life like this. She began trying to convince herself that she was simply seeing things and everything would be fine. 

Halfway through her shower, she had actually stopped worrying about her stalker. Her mind had wondered to other things; like how everyone back at the lab was doing and what exactly Nick was going to make for breakfast. 

She bent down to pick up her bar of soap, but stopped when she saw two black boots leading to dark blue jeans standing outside of her shower stall. Slowly standing back up, she decided she was clean enough, and turned off the water. She quickly wrapped a towel around her body, and began gathering her shampoo, conditioner, and soap. 

But she stopped moving when she heard the slight squeaking of the metal lock on the door being turned. All rational thinking left her brain as she stood stiff, still holding onto her toiletries, staring as the door slowly opened. 

She helplessly watched as the tall, masked man slowly entered her shower stall, and shut and locked the door behind him. She opened her mouth to scream, but didn't recognize the pathetic whimper that she heard. 

Sara reached for her jeans that lay on the bench in an effort to find her cell phone, but before she could grab it, he smacked her hand away, making her drop her soaps to the ground. 

She stood straight, holding onto her towel for dear life. She was shaking, but she wasn't sure if it was from the cold, or from fear. Maybe both. She stared into his piercing blue eyes, trying to see if she recognized them. She did not. 

He took another step towards her, and she backed up against the wall. There was no where else for her to go. "Who are you?" she asked in a small voice.

He didn't reply. Instead he closed the distance between their bodies, and grabbed onto her waist, holding on tightly. He pressed his body up against hers, and leaned in to whisper. "I've been watching you."

Sara tried to fight him off, but it was no use. He was almost six inches taller than she was, and a great deal stronger. He trailed a long finger down her right cheek, slowly, making the hair on her neck stand on end. 

"Get away from me," she begged. 

He continued trailing his finger down her neck, and shoulder, making her squirm. 

"Please,' she added. 

"So beautiful…" he started. 

But the shrill cry of Sara's cell phone made him jump away from her with a start. He quickly left the shower stall and ran out of the bath house before Sara could do anything to stop him.

She felt her legs give way and she crumpled to the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest, and wrapping the towel around her body even tighter. Immobilized by the fear, she listened as her phone continued to ring as the tears that had threatened to fall earlier, finally succeeded, and cascaded down her cheeks. 

**@~'~,~~~**

**    TBC**

**~~~'~,~@**


	4. Truth

Okay, okay, so I've been a lot busier than I thought I'd be. But for the next month or so, I may not be able to update as much you'd like. There's just so much going on with school this semester, and I HAVE to get good grades or I may not be able to live in the house I want next year. So, please just be patient with me. Thanks to those of you who are sticking with me on both of my unfinished stories. :)

**@~`~,~~**

Nick shut his phone, and sighed. Sara had been gone for over a half hour now. And she wasn't known for taking a long time in the shower. He had finished with the fire, and was debating on whether to start the food, or to go check on her. Yes, she was a grown woman and could take care of herself, but he was still allowed to worry. 

He turned away from the fire and looked up towards the bath house. He decided to go check on her, but stopped walking when he saw her emerge from the small building. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. She worried him, that was for sure. She was always acting so tough, but he knew deep down she wasn't as strong as she seemed to think she was. 

Nick watched Sara as she made her way back to their camp ground, duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She seemed different. She wasn't carrying herself like she did so well. And she was staring down at the ground instead of holding her head high, like she normally did. 

When she neared the campsite, Sara glanced up at Nick and forced a smile to her face. "Hey," he greeted her. 

"Hey," she replied, throwing her bag into the back of the Denali.

"How was the shower?" Nick asked.

Sara's mind flashed back to the man in the bathroom. She suddenly felt cold and alone. But before Nick had time to question it, she turned to him, and smiled again. "It was fine."

"Sara, are you-"

"Do you need help making the food?" She asked, cutting him off. 

Nick gazed into her eyes. Something was wrong, he knew that much, but what also knew was that pushing her to talk about it wasn't going to do anything but push her further away. And that's the last thing he wanted. He knew she'd tell him on her own time, when she was ready. He closed his eyes, and sighed. "Yeah."

"Good, because I'm starving."

Sara breezed by him, and knelt down at the fire. Nick had already laid out the frying pan, eggs, and hash browns. She knew he was hiding the bacon and sausage somewhere. Or maybe he'd already made it and eaten it before she even got back. 

She glanced up when she heard a noise in the bushes on the other side of their campsite. She could practically feel her heart stop when she saw him standing there. Sara was frozen to the spot. This time he had no mask on, but she still didn't recognize him. He had short brown hair, and hadn't shaved in a few days. She tried to stand up; tried to call Nick, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out.

Suddenly he bolted from the spot where he'd been standing, and before Sara knew it, he was completely gone from site. 

"Sara?" Nick's soft voice made her blink several times. And from the sound of concern in his voice told her it wasn't the first time he'd said her name.

She slowly stood up and turned to face him. She was right. Concern was etched all over his face, and this time she knew there was no getting out of telling him what was bothering her. 

Without a word, Sara closed the distance between their bodies and wrapped her arms around Nick's waist, burying her face in his shoulder.

Nick, who was only slightly taken aback, placed one hand on the back of her neck and the other around her waist. He ran his fingers through her hair smoothly as he spoke, "Hey, are you okay?"

He felt, rather than saw, her move her head from side to side.

"What's going on, Sar? Does this have to do with the guy you saw at the rest area?"

When Sara didn't reply, Nick gently placed two fingers under her chin, and lifted her face so he could look into her tear-filled eyes. "What is it?" He asked again, quieter than before.

"I saw him again," Sara whispered.

"Where?"

"Here. Last night," she answered. She closed her eyes tightly before going on.

Nick could tell she was stalling for time. "What else?" He asked.

Sara nervously looked around the campground, and then turned back to Nick. "Can we get in the car, please?"

Nick nodded, and led her over to the Denali. Both of them got in the backseat quickly and quietly. All of the windows were still covered from the night before, so it was fairly dark in the SUV. 

Sara pulled her knees up to her chest, and folded her arms on top of them. Nick sat right next to her, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"He was in the bath house with us last night. I swore I saw him."

"Sara, I was there, though. I didn't see a thing," Nick said, trying to reassure her.

Sara sighed. "I know. But I saw _something_." She paused. "And then this morning…"

Nick looked up at her. "This morning? While you were in the shower?"

Sara nodded.

"What happened?" Nick asked, trying to make his voice sound calm.

"Everything was fine," Sara began shakily. "I had just finished with my shower and wrapped the towel around my body. I bent down to pick up my shampoo and conditioner, and I saw him outside the shower stall door. Well, I saw his shoes."

"Please tell me he left after that," Nick begged.

Sara shook her head and buried her face in her arms. 

Nick took a deep breath. "What happened?"

"He-he came into the um, uh, the stall."

"Sara, no-"

"I thought it was over," she continued. "I thought he was going to-"

"But he didn't?" Nick asked, cutting her off. 

"No. My cell phone rang, and he ran away." Sara took a deep breath and let the air out slowly. "I can still feel him. I can still feel his hands on me, his finger on my cheek, his body pressed against mine. He was so strong, Nick."

Nick pulled Sara's body to him, and wrapped his arms around her. "He won't hurt you, I promise."

"He told me he'd been watching me, Nick. He knows who I am. He knows you. He knows everything. What if he hurts you?" Sara babbled.

"He won't," Nick stated matter-of-factly. 

"You can't promise that."

"Oh, yes I can."

Sara remained quiet after that. She began to feel her body relaxing in Nick's arms, and it was a while before she spoke up again. "Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"I didn't tell you everything."

"What else is there?" He asked.

"I saw him when I got back from my shower, too," Sara admitted.

"When? I was with you the whole time."

"He was in the bushes that separate the campsites, over across from the fireplace."

Nick sighed. "Do you want to go back home?"

"No," Sara answered quickly. 

"Sara-" there was a hint of warning in Nick's voice.

"I'm not going to let this ruin our vacation."

"Sara, we can always come back another time."

Sara looked up at him. "Do you know how hard it would be to get _another_ week off together? Grissom would never go for that and you know it."

"I'm sure if we explained what happened this time, he'd let us have another week off later."

"Nick, we're not leaving."

Nick didn't fight back this time. He was worried. What if this guy really was stalking Sara? What did he want? How did he know her? He knew he needed to take Sara and head back home. Maybe he could convince her to go back home later, and they could leave first thing in the morning. All they'd have to do was make it through the day.

**@~'~,~~**

**   TBC**

**@~'~,~~**


	5. Surrender

Thank you to all of my faithful readers! I wouldn't even be writing if it weren't for you. And let's please remember that the characters of CSI do not belong to me. Oh, and if there's anything anyone would really like to see happen in this story, let me know, and I'll see what I can do! :)

**@~'~,~~~**

"Nick, we should put the tent up now," Sara said after they had finished eating breakfast and cleaned up the dishes.

Nick let out a long sigh. "Sar, can we talk for a minute?"

"What about?" She asked innocently, pulling the tent out of the back of the Denali.

"I think you know," he whispered.

Sara looked around, and then focused on Nick's face. "I think we should set up the tent, Nick."

"Sara!"

The volume and anger in his voice surprised her. The tent fell from her grasp and landed with a loud '_thud_' on the ground. Sara covered her mouth with her hands and stared at Nick. She closed her eyes then and sat down on the back bumper of the SUV. 

"Sara," his voice was much softer as he came to stand in front of her. "I'm sorry."

"I hate this."

"I know you do," Nick whispered before rubbing his eyes in frustration.

"I don't want to fight with you."

"And I don't want to fight with you, but I'm scared, Sara. Some guy is following you, and he's not too afraid of getting close to you. If anything were to happen to you, I'd kill myself, okay?" Nick kneeled down on the ground in front of Sara, and placed his hands on her knees. "I love you, Sara. If you got hurt, or-"

"Nick, please?" Sara begged. "Please don't."

Nick wiped a tear that had begun falling down his cheek. "Then can we please go home. We'll come back another time."

Sara closed her eyes, and placed her hands on top of Nick's. "What if he follows us?"

Nick looked up at her, and whispered, "We'll think of something. Back in Vegas we'll have people we know who can help. Here we don't know anyone. We can't trust anyone. If he does follow us back to Vegas then we can catch him."

"So what you're saying is; you want us to go back to Vegas just so he will follow us?" Sara asked.

"No, Sara," Nick started, joining her on the back bumper. "What I'm saying is; I want to leave this place as soon as we can. And if he does follow us, then we will catch him. And yes, I'd feel a lot safer if that happened. If we don't catch him, though, the ball is still in his court."

"You sound like you've already thought about this a lot."

Nick looked down at their joined hands. "After Nigel, it's hard not to think about stuff like this."

"That was a little different, though, Nick."

"Not really," he whispered. 

Sara decided not to argue with him about it. That wouldn't get them anywhere, and the last thing they needed was a fight. It would only give the stalker the upper hand.

"When do you want to leave?" Sara asked.

Nick let out the breath he'd been holding. "Two hours ago."

Sara giggled, and wrapped her arms around Nick's neck. "I love you so much."

Nick cupped her face in his hands and pressed a kiss against her lips. "I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you."

"You won't," Sara promised, kissing him back.

Before either of them could start getting ready to leave, a park ranger pulled into their campsite. 

"I wonder what this is about," Nick said to Sara as they both stood up. 

Nick recognized Anthony from the day before when they first arrived at Estes Park. He stood nearly half a foot taller than Nick, he had piercing blue eyes, and short light brown hair. Today, though he wasn't wearing the glasses, and this time he didn't remind Nick of Grissom at all. In fact, he almost reminded him of Hank. 

Nick left Sara at the SUV and walked over to meet Anthony. "Is there something wrong?" He asked.

Sara decided that she was going to start packing up the car. She headed up to the passenger side of the Denali, and reached into her pocket for the keys to unlock the door. When she didn't find them in there, she realized they must be in one of her bags. Instead of looking through them, she figured she could just get Nick's from him.

"Hey Nick?" She called out, coming around the front of the Denali. "I need your-" she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who Nick was talking to.  It was the man she had seen twice the day before. It was the same man who had pinned her up against the wall in the bath house not two hours earlier. And now here he was out in the open, talking to Nick. 

"Sara?" Nick's concerned voice broke her out of the trance. 

"You," she gasped.

"Me? Me, what?" Nick asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

But before Sara could answer, she felt the world spin around her. Everything started to get hazy as she crumpled to the ground.

"Sara!" Nick yelled, dropping to his knees, next to her lifeless body. "Sara! Sara, wake up! Help! Anthony, call 9-1-1!" 

Nick was answered with silence. He spun around to find Anthony speeding off in his truck. "Dammit!" Nick exclaimed.

He turned back to Sara just in time to see her eyes flutter open. "Sara?" he whispered. "Sara, can you hear me?"

Sara nodded, and tried to sit up. Nick helped her into a sitting position so she was leaning against the front of the Denali. He began checking her body for any injuries sustained from the fall. When he found none, he looked at her confused and asked, "What made you faint, Sara?"

Sara closed her eyes as she felt tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. "It was him," she whispered.

"Who? Anthony?"

"He was the one in the bathroom. He was the one who-who-who was there," she whispered.

"Oh my God," Nick breathed. "I'll kill him!" 

"Nick," Sara croaked. "Can we go home now, please?"

"Sara, we should report him, or do something."

"Remember what we talked about earlier?" Sara asked in a small voice.

"Yes, but-"

"Please?" She begged one more time.

Nick sighed. "Okay. Let me just go pack up the car."

Nick stood up, and turned around to come face to face with the barrel of a rifle. Before he could move, he felt the butt of the gun slam into his stomach. Nick fell to the ground in front of a screaming Sara. She watched helplessly as the butt of the gun was slammed into the back of Nick's head. 

"Nick" she whimpered. 

"Now it's time for some fun."

Sara looked up into a piercing pair of blue eyes. "Anthony?" She asked.

"Get up now, or I'll kill him."

Sara stood up slowly, using the Denali for support. "Please don't hurt him anymore," she begged. 

Anthony laughed before spitting in her face. "That all depends on you, Sara. Now turn around. And if you make any sudden movements, he gets it."

Sara turned around and looked down at Nick's lifeless body. She felt Anthony pull her wrists together and wrap them with duct tape. When he was finished, Anthony bent down and did the same thing to Nick. "Get up!" He yelled, pulling on Nick's arms.

Nick was barely conscious, but did as he was told. 

Anthony pulled the keys out of Nick's jeans pocket, and pushed him around back. He shoved Nick into the back of the Denali before shutting and locking the door. 

Then he came back to Sara, and put a strip of tape across her mouth. "I never did like women who talked a lot. It turned me off right away. Now go!" He pushed the barrel of his rifle into Sara's lower back, leading her over to the passenger side of the SUV. She got in slowly. 

"Here, let me help you with your seat belt." Sara sat back helplessly as Anthony reached over her lap to fasten the seatbelt. He trailed his hand along the inside of her thigh, making her squirm. 

Anthony pulled his hand away and smiled. "More time for that later, but for now, I think you need a nap." Sara watched as he pulled out a cloth from his back pocket, and poured what she guessed was chloroform on it. "Good night, dear." Anthony pressed the cloth to Sara's nose, and within seconds she saw the world turn into darkness.

**@~'~,~~~**


End file.
